Aviation liquid antifreeze display marker



Sept. 27, 1949; ELL R ETAL 2,483,285

AVIATION LIQUID ANTIFREEZE DISPLAY MARKER Filed March 1, 1948 Hugo F. Keller Lynn E. Johnson Paul E. F mass INVENTORS Patented Sept. 27, 1949 AVIATION LIQUID AN TIFREEZE DISPLAY MARKER Hugo F. Keller, Oneida, Lynn E. Johnson, Canastota, and Paul E. Froass, Oneida, N. Y.

Application March 1, 1948, Serial No. 12,454

This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in luminous display devices, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herein described, such as may be conveniently and effectively employed by airports for visually directing or signalling air trafiic, notwithstanding the presence of adverse weather conditions such as for example, darkness, snow, sleet or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a luminous display device which may be employed with equal expediency either in adverse or normal weather conditions. 4

Another object of the invention is to provide a luminous display device which is simple in construction, which will function for considerable periods of time without attention or other forms of maintenance, and which will not easily become damaged. I

An additional object of the invention is to provide a luminous display device which will readily lend itself to economical manufacture and which is otherwise well adapted for the purpose for which it is intended.

A further object of the invention is to provide a luminous display device which, in addition to its primary purpose as above outlined, may also be employed for advertising, instructional, entertaining and other similar purposes.

With the above more important objects and features in view, and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the invention, and

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional View of the invention in its assembled form, the same being taken substantially in the plane of the line 2-2 in Figure 1.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention consists of a luminous display device designated generally by the reference character I0, the same embodying in its construction a substantially rectangular receptacle II consisting of a bottom I2 and side walls I3, substantially as shown.

The receptacle I I is removably positioned upon a substantially rectangular enclosure I4 which,

4 Claims. (Cl. 40-130) like the receptacle, consists of a bottom I5 and sidewalls I6.

'The bottom I2 of the receptacle II is provided with an opening defining what may be referred to as a sign character, in the illustrated instance, the letter E, and a plurality of upstanding walls I? are provided at the edges of this opening, substantially as shown. Needless to say, the walls 91 will be arranged in the form of the sign character defined by the opening in the bottom I2, namely, in the form of the letter E, as indicated at I8.

Of course, this sign character may assume the form of other letters of the alphabet, arrows, or the like.

When the invention is placed in use, the receptacle I I is positioned upon the enclosure I4 as shown in Figure 2, and the receptacle as well as the enclosure is partially filled with liquid antifreezing compositiom such as for example, salt, or calcium solutions, as indicated at I9 and 20 respectively. Moreover, a source of light is provided in the enclosure I4, this simply assuming the form of a plurality of incandescent lamps 2i, mounted on the underside of the bottom I2 of the receptacle II, as will be clearly apparent.

It is to be noted that the upstanding walls I! are substantially equal in height to the side walls I3 of the receptacle II, and that the walls I! are spaced with respect to the walls I3, so that the liquid IS in the receptacle I I completely surrounds the sign character I8, substantially as shown.

Accordingly, when the entire device is positioned horizontally upon the ground (aircraft landing field) and the lamps 2| are energized, the light from these lamps will be diffused in an indirect manner, so to speak, through the opening in the bottom I2 defining the character I8,

whereby the character will be clearly visible by the pilot of an aircraft.

Moreover, by Virtue of the provision of the antifreezing liquid in the receptacle II, any snow, or the like, such as would otherwise accumulate in the vicinity of the sign character will immediately melt, so that the sign character will be clearly defined against a black background constituted by the liquid in the receptacle, as will be clearly understood. By a similar token, any snow, or the like, which may enter the enclosure I4 through the opening defining the sign character I8 will be melted upon contact with the antifreezing liquid in the enclosure I4, so that clear and distinct visibility of the sign character will be facilitated.

If desired, the upper surface of the receptacle bottom I2 may be painted black, while the inner surfaces of the upstanding walls H, as well as the bottom l 5 of the enclosure 14 may be painted in bright orange color, or the like, in order to enhance the aspect of visibility and distinction. Moreover, suitably colored liquid may be used in the enclosure and receptacle.

Means are'provided for maintaining. the antifreezing liquid in the receptacle l I and the enclosure lt at a predetermined level, said means consisting of apertures or openings 22, 23 provided in the side walls I3, l6, respectively, which openings will facilitate drainage of excessive liquid such as may accumulate inthereceptacle and enclosure, after rain, sleet or snow gathers therein.

Needless to say, fluorescent lighting may be substituted for the lamps 2|, and several devices constructed in accordance with the invention I may be used in combination so as to produce in readable formation the message which is to be displayed. Alternatively, the receptacle H and the enclosure It may be suitably elongated to accommodate several letters or sign characters.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be clearly apparent from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:

provided With a bottom and side Walls and containing a liquid antifreezing composition, said bottom being formed with an opening defining a sign character, and upstanding walls provided on said bottom at the edges of said opening, said upstanding Walls being spaced from the side walls of said receptacle.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 together with a source of light-provided under the bottom of said receptacle;-

3. The device as defined in claim 1 together With an enclosure positioned under said receptacle and containing a liquid antifreezing composition, and a source of light provided in said enclosure.

4. An airport marker comprising a receptacle provided with a: bottom and side Walls, an enclosure positioned under said receptacle, said encl0- sure and'rec'eptacle containing a liquid antifreezing composition, said bottom being formed with an opening defining a sign character, upstanding Walls provided onsaid bottom at the edges of said opening, said upstanding walls being spaced from the sidewalls of said receptacle, and a source of light provided in said enclosure, said enclosure in said receptacle being provided with overflow passages for maintaining the liquid therein at predetermined respective levels.

HUGO F. KELLER, LYNN E. JOHNSON. PAUL E. FROASS.

REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATEN'IS Number Name Date 1,847,739 Wilhelm Mar. 1, 1932 1,866,199 Edwards July 5, 1932 1,937,374 Wolff Nov. 28, 1933 2,455,721 Abiuso' Dec. 7,. 1948 

